Ganymede
heroA beautiful Trojan prince abducted by Zeus to serve as cup-bearer on Olympus. Ganymede became immortal and was placed among the stars as the constellation Aquarius.
The Myth
Ganymede was a prince of Troy, described as the most beautiful mortal boy in the world. Zeus, captivated by his beauty, transformed himself into a great eagle and swooped down to carry Ganymede away to Mount Olympus.
On Olympus, Ganymede became the cup-bearer of the gods, replacing Hebe in the role of serving nectar and ambrosia at divine feasts. Zeus compensated Ganymede's grieving father, King Tros, with a pair of divine horses — the finest in the world.
Ganymede was granted immortality and eternal youth. Zeus eventually placed him among the stars as the constellation Aquarius, the water-bearer. The myth of Ganymede's abduction became one of the most frequently depicted subjects in Greek art, and his name gave English a rarely used word for a beautiful youth.
Parents
Tros and Callirhoe
Symbols
Fun Fact
Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, is named after the cup-bearer — appropriately orbiting the planet named for Zeus's Roman counterpart.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: